Q: We are interested in any recommendations on how to handle instructor pay when a class is offered to both credit and non-credit students (in the same class taught by the same instructor at the same time). Credit instructors are generally paid at a much higher rate than the non-credit class tuition can tolerate. Any suggestions on how to fairly “share” instructor pay?
A: One way to do this is to charge a different tuition rate for to a non-credit student than for a credit student. The non-credit student also makes far fewer demands on the instructor in terms of time, grading, etc., so a lower tuition can be justified. Instructor pay for credit courses is not typically based on head-count. For credit, there is usually a required compensation rate based on institutional policy.
The typical non-credit compensation is based on a more entrepreneurial model. Typically it is a percentage of income, a flat rate, or a set hourly fee.
The LERN benchmark for instructor pay (production costs) is that it should not exceed 35-40% of course income. This does not mean you should pay on a percentage basis. In fact. LERN recommends a flat fee for teaching a course, but that the amount should be 40% or less of total course income. If you allocated 35% of income generated by students taking the course as non-credit as the portion that should be shared for teaching the non-credit students, that would seem reasonable. You might even be able to contribute less, depending upon the set compensation rate for credit programs. T
Organizations have different formulations for paying faculty teaching credit courses, and often there is little flexibility. You would need to assess your own institutional policies regarding compensation for teaching the course for credit
Questions
Sharing Instructor Pay
May 23, 2018 1:19:14 AM
by
Jordan Kivley
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